1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a connector assembly in which plural connectors are mounted in one frame so as to make it possible to connect all the connectors to a mating connector at a time.
2. Background Art
Generally, in the event that plural connectors are connected to corresponding connectors or connection portions disposed in an electric Joint box in for example an automobile assembly line, the connecting work must be carried out the same number of times as the number of connectors. Thus, the handling of connectors and the connector coupling work in such a line become complicated.
To avoid such complication, there has been adopted a method in which a sub-assembly of plural connectors in one frame is prepared in advance, and the so-prepared frame is coupled to a connection portion on the mating side by bolts or the like means in the final connector coupling stage of the line. In that manner, all the connectors can be connected by fitting or the like fashion to the mating connector at a time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,090 discloses a typical example of such a connector assembly called "ultra-multipolar connector" therein and having construction as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Moreover, another example to be applied to the electric Joint box is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,411.
In the connector assembly shown in FIG. 1, two connector housings 3a, 3b are disposed in a frame 1, and multipolar connectors 5a, 5b are received in these housings 3a, 3b, respectively. Moreover, a bolt 7 is supported in the central portion of the frame 1 so that the frame 1 can be sectored by a nut 11 disposed in the mating connector 9.
In the case of electric connection, the connectors 5a, 5b are fitted in advance in the respective housings 3a, 3b to form a sub-assembly, and the bolt 7 and nut 11 are then engaged together to couple the frame 1 to the mating connector 9. As the result, all of the connectors 5a, 5b are connected at a time to the terminals 13a, 13b of mating connector 9, respectively.
According to this method, the plurality of connectors 5a, 5b can be handled at a time on the stage of shipping or assembling, and the process number of final connector coupling work can be greatly reduced by preparing such a sub-assembly of these connectors 5a, 5b in frame 1.
However, in such a conventional construction, even when it is needed to remove the connectors 5a, 5b individually from the terminals 13a, 13b after the coupling, the frame 1 must be separated from the mating connector 9 by disengaging the bolt 7 from the nut 11. Therefore, the conventional method is disadvantageous in the individual maintenance of connectors 5a, 5b or in changing the number of poles, regardless of its merit in easy handling before or on the connector coupling work.